This class has addressed a number of different issues which shape global business. However, the most important issue that the class has shed light on is the role that leadership plays in defining business operations. Today, effective leadership is needed more than ever. Businesses face complex challenges which require innovative approaches. Traditional leadership styles may be ineffective in solving these challenges. In this class, transformational leadership has been presented as the most effective model for driving business success. Transformational leaders possess the insight needed to rally others to support an idea. Furthermore, transformational leadership enables organizations to abandon traditional and ineffective approaches. The lessons gained in this class will prove vital in my personal journey toward growth and my interactions with others in team settings.
The Power to Lead
In the Powers to Lead, Joseph Nye (2008) sheds light on the challenges and the rewards of leadership in the modern business environment. One of the important issues that Nye examines is the role that leaders play. He contends that the essence of leadership is to persuade others to support a particular cause. I found this insight to be rather surprising. Before this class, I felt that leadership is primarily concerned with pursuing a cause which serves the interests of all those involved. Now, thanks to Nye’s book, I recognize that leadership involves rallying followers to back a given idea. Nye’s book allows one to understand the role that leadership plays today. Businesses are facing unprecedented and complex challenges. For example, businesses are being urged to do more to tackle climate change. Leaders who have adopted the transformational style are able to convince business stakeholders that tackling climate change is in their best interest. It is clear that transformational leadership allows a leader to align their desires with the wishes of those that he leads.
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The need to combine soft power with hard power when leading is another issue that Nye addresses in his book (Nye, 2008). He notes that there are some circumstances where leaders are forced to resort to unpopular and harsh policies. For instance, in order to promote employee productivity, a leader may have to issue threats of dismissal. Nye clearly understood the complexities of leadership. It is nearly impossible for a leader to be effective if they fulfill the desires of their followers at all times. Nye does not neglect to highlight the impact of soft power. He urges leaders to use such tools as diplomacy in their engagements with stakeholders (Nye, 2008). I agree with Nye that soft power is a critical component of effective leadership. Personally, I find soft power to be much more effective than hard power. When leaders listen and respond to the needs and wishes of their followers, I think that they are able to have a greater impact.
Nye does not limit his discussion to the need to combine hard and soft power. His book also explores the ingredients that constitute good leadership. He notes that upholding principles is one of the issues that define good leaders (Nye, 2008). The actions and the decisions that these leaders take are guided by clear principles. Principle-based leadership is very relevant to the modern business environment. Firms are resorting to illegalities and abuses in an effort to stay ahead of their competitors. A good leader would understand that the practices of these firms are unacceptable and in violation of the principles of transformational leadership. Leaders who truly understand their mission know that success that is achieved through violations and cutting corners cannot be sustained. I must admit that Nye has redefined my thoughts on leadership. I now know that leadership is not merely concerned about success. It is about creating value and pursuing causes which deliver benefits for communities.
Leading and Managing
Transformational leadership is just one of the numerous models of leadership. This class has examined some of these models. The class has particularly highlighted the link between the personality of a leader and their effectiveness in managing a team. There are particular traits which hinder leadership effectiveness and others that allow leaders to manage their teams properly. For example, leaders with neurotic personalities have been shown to have a toxic effect on their teams (Lim & Ployhart, 2003). Now that I understand the impact that personality has on team dynamics, I will endeavor to develop traits which enhance teamwork. I will also strive to become a transformational leader who exploits personality traits to promote cohesion and collaboration among team members.
Most leaders are convinced that their mandate is to offer direction. While this is true, the leaders do not fully understand the role that followers and subordinates can play in enhancing leadership effectiveness and teamwork. This class has explored reciprocal leadership. Essentially, this is a leadership model that shares similarities with transformational leadership. Individuals who have adopted the reciprocal model recognize that their followers possess talents, insights and skills that they could exploit for the growth of their teams (Avolio et al., 2003). Reciprocal leadership is important as it supplies leaders with the energy and drive they need to inspire and challenge followers. Through this class, I have gathered that leadership can be a frustrating and exhausting mission. Reciprocal leadership offers a solution to the leaders who are exhausted and desire a break from the demands of leadership. As they tap into the energy and insight that their followers possess, these leaders are able to replenish their reserves and renew their commitment.
For the most part, leadership is concerned with running routine everyday affairs of a team or an organization. However, leadership is also needed to define the long-term strategies and plans of a team. This is where strategic leadership becomes relevant. As the name suggests, strategic leadership is concerned with developing clear policies, tasks and processes that facilitate the attainment of long-term goals, visions and strategies. Strategic leaders leverage some skills that define transformational leadership. For example, the ability to influence, motivate and inspire is among the skills that transformational leaders possess (Cherry & Gans, 2017). This skill also underlies strategic leadership. It is nearly impossible for a leader to effectively implement strategies if he is unable to garner the support of followers and subordinates. Individualized consideration is another skill that defines transformational leadership (Cherry & Gans, 2017). Through this skill, transformational leaders listen to the concerns of individual followers and attempt to provide tailored solutions. Strategic leadership also leverages this skill. Those who have embraced strategic leadership ensure that all members are on board. To achieve this, individualized consideration is needed.
In conclusion, the role that leaders play in driving teams and organizations towards success cannot be overstated. Every day, leaders make sacrifices and suffer inconveniences in the pursuit of growth. Some leaders are more effective than others. The success that a leader achieves depends on the style that they have adopted. Transformational leadership is among the most effective leadership approaches. This leadership model challenges leaders to inspire and motivate. Furthermore, thanks to transformational leadership, the needs of individual team members are met. Transformational leadership holds the key to tackling most of the challenges that enterprises face today. To secure their future while safeguarding the interests of all stakeholders, the business leaders need to embrace transformational leadership. This leadership style has redefined my perspectives on leadership. I now recognize that leadership is about service and creating value and impact.
References
Avolio, B. J., Sosik, J. J., Jung, D. I., & Berson, Y. (2003). Leadership Models,
Methods, and Applications. In Handbook of Psychology. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Cherry, K., & Gans, S. (2017). What is Transformational Leadership? VeryWell Mind.
Lim, B., & Ployhart, R. E. (2003). Transformational Leadership: Relations to the Five
Factor Model and Team Performance in Typical and Maximum Contexts.
4 th Annual Conference of the International Military Testing Association.
Nye, J. (2008). The Powers to Lead. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
